Training Magazine (a 50-year-old professional development publication) just released an article that brings techniques for offering innovation inspiration to both large numbers of employees and executive leadership groups.

Since companies can no longer rely on acquisitions for sustained growth, they must instill a renewed spirit of innovation down into their organization.

Barbee states, “I was inspired to write 63 Innovation Nuggets (for aspiring innovators) because throughout my career I observed many different people who could stretch themselves beyond their self-perceived limitations and attain a far greater level of innovation than they initially thought they could.” So even if you are not Steve Jobs, you can still learn to be more innovative with the right tools. For example, learning how to observe and learning how to transfer what you have observed or learned is key to becoming more innovative—and we can all achieve that with determination and practice.

The full text of both “Observing as an Art” (which is Nugget No. 19) and “Transferring Innovations” (Nugget No. 23) are included in the article. For more innovative nuggets, you can order Barbee’s book on Amazon or read more about it here.

The President’s State of the Union address was especially poignant for me after just returning home from the week long INNOVATION seminar I taught at UVA’s Darden School of Business.

In his speech, President Obama mentioned Steve Jobs and my ears perked. Specifically, Obama said that we, as a country—and whether Democrat or Republican—“should support everyone who’s willing to work; and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs.”

“After all, innovation is what America has always been about,” Obama continued. And he is right. Innovation drives much of what we all do in this county to make our lives easier, more meaningful, profitable, interesting, competitive …. the reasons behind innovation are countless.